Three days ago, as I hit the 'Share' button for the 1,000th post on my Instagram, it got me thinking back to my very first few days on the platform. In the summer of 2013, I was inundated with appeals and rebukes from my tech-savvy friends who seemed genuinely appalled that I was still blissfully unaware of the whole world of Instagram.
Baby steps on the 'gram
But then, in my defense, I was a Windows smartphone user back then (don't @ me for this) and Instagram was several leagues out of my reach. One fine day, however, Windows decided to shed its inhibitions and ventured to provide us mere mortals with a Beta version of the platform. It was not everything--it was full of bugs, incomplete features, and the absence of several Android-elite features made it difficult to use--but it was still a beginning. And thus began my tryst with this wonderful digital medium.
More than just a phase
At first, I went on a rampage; sharing pictures all the time, experimenting with frames, edits, layouts, and being constantly on my toes all the time. It was a new playground and the possibilities were endless. At one point, I would be worried if I had nothing to post for a day or two. A friend of mine told me, it is just a phase and I'll be bored of out soon enough. Wanting to believe her, I persisted, often thinking I might need some sort of therapy.
Although I've overcome the anxiety and understood that it is okay not to post everyday, my love for Instagram has grown by leaps and bounds. Almost six years later, here I am, professing my utter fixation with the medium through a homage piece on my blog (which I also started the same year I began Instagramming).
A frame worth a thousand words
Instagram has seen its fair share of new updates and added features over the years. But when I started out, it was just a medium to share for the love of photography. I'm a 90's kid and the sheer delight we experienced with those hand-held cameras soon outgrew into another era of smartphone cameras and digital gadgets. The freedom Instagram gave you with frames meant you could create your own aesthetic and connect with like-minded artists/people. Over the years, my photography skills have grown and so has my ability to emote relevant captions for the frames I capture. I'd like to believe that my aesthetic has grown better with time and a look at my feed will show its timeline trajectory.
Friends with aesthetics
Perhaps the best thing I've gained on Instagram over the last few years is the insane amounts of love and support from unexpected quarters. Sly stalking (all of us do it, come on!) of friends' accounts lead to friends of friends' accounts and so on, eventually making us all each other's followers.
I've become friends with people I've barely met or was earlier just an acquaintance to them, and they've gone on to become the best online support system for me. Instagram has made us a close-knit community that readily stands for each other in solidarity through many ups and downs. Nothing is more enthusiastic than an online friend waiting to cheer you on your wins and also lend a kind ear during bad days. Irrespective of each other's aesthetics, Instagram has managed to merge people with differences and create a robust system of mutual respect and admiration.
Normalizing conversation on taboo topics
Social media like Facebook and Instagram have always been there to connect people to world news and issues. However, with the rise of Instagram influencers, social conversations have become more liberated with normalizing discussions on earlier taboo topics. Personally, it has been so liberating for me to witness a progressive community who has made it easier to propagate awareness and thoughts on body positivity, mental health, financial health, LGBTQ+ tribe, and sexual assault.
Irrespective of personal opinions, it has only encouraged more positive sharing of ideas and respecting difference. It took me exposure to Instagram trends, celebrities, and conversations to realize that there are millions out there who share bad mental health days, body-image issues, and other insecurities. It made me feel slightly better to know that I am not alone and it has boosted my confidence in more ways than one.
Instagram has grown a special place in my heart and life, and there's more to this love than just the love for photography. I like to think of it as a digital photo journal where I've documented how I've felt and lived, one frame at a time. It has encouraged me to create better content and the zeal continues. For now, let me end this blog while I go ahead and contemplate what to post next. After all, it's all for the 'gram.
